


Take a Bow

by littlecloud



Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: Gen, New Vegas, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-26
Updated: 2013-12-26
Packaged: 2018-01-06 04:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1102229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlecloud/pseuds/littlecloud
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Up on the hill, where the lights of the city could still reach, there was a trailer he stayed in after fights or clubs or casual sex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take a Bow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gizzi1213](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gizzi1213/gifts).



The tents reminded him of war. He had not known a home in decades, but if he had one now, it would be the perfume of sweat and blood. Or skin against skin, bones breaking, long pieces of hair constantly needing to be swung back out of the way.  
  
What was most familiar to him was the knowledge that nothing was familiar – the comfort of home found in understanding he would not have one.  
  
Up on the hill, where the lights of the city could still reach, there was a trailer he stayed in after fights or clubs or casual sex. Monroe guessed that the previous owners had been killed, because he slept there for months without having anyone return. Food was left in the cupboards, and there were blankets on the bed that still held their soft fuzz, and he liked thinking that this was someone’s gift to him. That, or he would have to fight for it when the owners returned. Both possibilities were exciting; he got to be unknown, just a guy without anyone else to back him.  
  
He usually picked out his girls from the crowd. Many hoped for his success during matches, especially when he took his shirt off. Sometimes he made punches so intense, he wondered if the audience could see his heart beating through his ribcage. He felt alive.  
  
Women’s clothing styles had changed from before the Blackout, when he and Miles visited Vegas just after his twenty-first birthday. Everything was just as skimpy now as then, but the fabric was more fragile, the rips natural, the colors faded.  
  
One night, he had been looking at this girl in a dark dress – grey, nearly black, pleated from the waist up. Although the sizing wasn’t quite right, she looked cute. She had a button nose, bright hair that was not plastered down by hairspray like many others.  Her encouragement was loud even from across the tent. However, once he won and collected his diamonds, he saw her being walked away by a female of a slightly larger stature, wearing jeans and a crossbow across her shoulder. It was all he could see from behind, spare strawberry blonde curls that touched the small of her back.  
  
Their conversation was hushed, though kind of adorable. He heard the new girl ask, “How do you have makeup now? Do you make it yourself?”  
  
Monroe waited patiently for an answer, needing time to catch his wind from all of the blows to his stomach that night. After a few minutes, he lost track of their words, caught in his thoughts, and decided to interrupt.  The night was passing quickly; he wanted to sleep almost as much as he wanted this girl.  
  
“Excuse me,” he said over the head of the stronger-looking girl, who wore jeans. He nodded towards the other one. “I was wondering if I could speak to you? Or something?”  
  
She smiled, flirty, while the second girl began to finger around for her bow. Her hands were visibly shaking – much less confident up close than what she seemed from far away. Still, he had not seen her face. Maybe she was younger than what he imagined, or perhaps he had disturbed something serious.  
  
Before he could apologize, she rushed off.  He caught a glimpse of a slightly familiar profile – cerulean eyes, tanned cheeks, vague freckles, pouted lips. Instead of pursuing it, he dismissed his instincts. Blinked a few times. Called himself confused. He grabbed the arm of the other girl, blushing and blonde with sparkles on her thighs, and whispered into her ear.  
  
“I’m Jimmy. It’s nice to meet you.”


End file.
